Category: Videogames

Coffee Talk #48: Favorite Games of 2009 #3 SmackDown vs. Raw 2010

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, the Seattle Mariners making out like bandits in the big MLB trade, Boeing finally getting the 787 Dreamliner off the ground, or Freddie Roach calling out Roger Mayweather, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As I mentioned last week, I’ll be counting down my five favorite games of 2009 in this week’s Coffee Talk columns and I’d love for you to join me! Let me know what your favorite games of the year were in the comments section. Remember, this isn’t about what games you thought were “best”. I want to know what you had the most fun with in 2009.

Smackdown vs Raw 2010 c

#3 WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2010 — I love videogames and I love WWE, so it’s no surprise that I love THQ’s WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 series. This year’s game was very special to me since it contained my first pieces of writing on that side of the business. The award-winning scripts of the Shawn Michaels and Mickie James storylines aside, it’s just a great game. In addition to the variety of matches and careers it offers, 2010 ups the ante on the creative side. WWE fans have been able to create wrestlers and moves in the past, but this year storylines can be created and content can be shared online. It’s cool stuff.

Sure, I joke about the game being nominated for the best videogame writing in the history of man, but I love playing it. Getting to beat up Randy Orton with dozens of WWE Superstars — whether they’re real or imagined or downloaded — never gets old.

Media Molecule Details Pirates of the Caribbean LBP Level Pack

LBP Pirates of the Carribean

Media Molecule has revealed details on the Pirates of the Caribbean level pack for LittleBigPlanet. The pack will be available on December 22, 2009 for $5.99. It includes:

  • New Gameplay features for Create: Water — Global Water Object, Scuba Gear, Bubble Machine, Water Switch
  • 5 Brand new Pirates of the Caribbean themed Levels
  • 1 New costume: The Cannibal: Leg Bands, Teeth, Nose Decoration, Hair, Loincloth, Skin
  • 4 new music tracks
  • A new level background
  • 8 Materials
  • 14 Decorations
  • 27 Objects
  • 133 Stickers
  • 11 brand new PlayStation® Trophies

Hit the break for an excellent video of the level pack in action.

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Top 10 Best Selling Games of 2009 (Minus December)

NPD Group has released the 411 on the best selling games of the year, not including December. They are:

Modern Warfare 2

  1. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (Xbox 360): 4,200,000
  2. Wii Fit (w/ balance board) (Wii): 3,500,000
  3. Wii Sports Resort (w/ MotionPlus) (Wii): 2,400,000
  4. Wii Mario Kart (w/ wheel) (Wii): 2,200,000
  5. Wii Play (w/ remote) (Wii): 2,100,000
  6. Halo 3: ODST (Xbox 360): 2,000,000
  7. Pokemon Platinum Version (DS): 1,900,000
  8. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (PS3): 1,900,000
  9. Madden NFL 10 (Xbox 360): 1,500,000
  10. New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii): 1,400,000

As much as you guys (most of you, anyway) bag on Nintendo, those numbers are ridiculous. Any software publisher would kill for those sales figures. Even though New Super Mario Bros. hasn’t been out that long, it still managed to crack the list. As a Pokemon fan, I’m thrilled that Platinum made the list. I love showing numbers like that to idiots that say, “They still make Pokemon games?!?” You see, usually when you sell millions of something, a sequel is a pretty good idea.

Continue reading “Top 10 Best Selling Games of 2009 (Minus December)”

Coffee Talk #47: Favorite Games of 2009 #4 Street Fighter IV

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Dennis Miller not getting over with the WWE crowd in Texas, the Google Nexus One, or the various MLB trade moves made yesterday, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As I mentioned last week, I’ll be counting down my five favorite games of 2009 in this week’s Coffee Talk columns and I’d love for you to join me! Let me know what your favorite games of the year were in the comments section. Remember, this isn’t about what games you thought were “best”. I want to know what you had the most fun with in 2009.

Street Fighter IV

#4 Street Fighter IV — I lost a ton of quarters playing various versions of Street Fighter in high school and college. Like many players, I abandoned the series for modern games like Soul Calibur, Dead or Alive, and Tekken. Street Fighter IV was a triumphant return to glory for the series. The game mechanics had that classic SF feel, while the visuals were modern and fresh. The game is deep, but accessible to players of various skill levels. I remember playing the game with friends that are no longer gamers, but remember how to spam fireballs with Ken and Ryu.

SFIV is just a brilliant combination of old and new. That only downer is that the game also reminds me of my most frustrating moments as a gamer in 2009 — trying to beat Seth when my Xbox 360 would randomly generate hundreds of vertical bars! He’s a cheap bastard as it is. Trying to beat him when you can’t see the damn screen?!? Not so easy.

U.S. Customs Officers Allegedly Beat Up Game Writer

Canadian Flag

Videogame and sci-fi writer Peter Watts says that Canadian U.S. customs officers beat the crap out of him. The customs officers say that Watts tried to choke one of them. GamePolitics reported:

Watts asserts that as the inspection began, he exited the car to ask officers what was going on. He claims they asked him to return to the car, at which point he asked them again what they were doing. Watts said that this act then resulted in him being assaulted, punched in the face, pepper-sprayed and thrown in jail for the night on charges of assaulting a customs officer.

Custom officials claim that Watts was “aggressive” from the beginning and refused to get back in his car. At this point Watts was about to be handcuffed, but resisted arrest said officials, and tried to choke an officer. This is when officers used pepper-spray.

As a fellow game writer, I’m a little bit scared of Canada now. Though to be fair, my work involves some of the country’s finest exports — Christian, The Hart Dynasty, Edge, etc. Still…I think I’ll play it safe and stick to this side of the border.

Source

Play Guitar Hero 5 with “Weird” Al Yankovic

Weird Al Yankovic

As part of Microsoft’s Game with Fame series, Xbox Live members will have a chance to play Guitar Hero 5 with “Weird” Al Yankovic on Tuesday, December 15. His session takes place from 7PM to 9PM ET. To get in the game in Weird Al, send a friend request to “WeirdAl GwF” and be online 30 minutes before the session starts.

I usually ignore all the Game with Fame promos, but this one was too awesome to pass up. I am a huge Weird Al mark. I love parodies of all kinds and Yankovic has provided some of the best. Whether you’re talking about “Eat It”, “Amish Paradise”, or his brilliant polkas, I’m totally down with Weird Al.

Do you have a favorite “Weird” Al Yankovic song?

Source

Coffee Talk #46: Favorite Games of 2009 #5 Pokemon Platinum

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, WWE giving Sheamus and Drew McIntyre championships, last Saturday’s fantastic day of boxing, or Accenture dropping Tiger Woods, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

As I mentioned last week, I’ll be counting down my five favorite games of 2009 in this week’s Coffee Talk columns and I’d love for you to join me! Let me know what your favorite games of the year were in the comments section. Remember, this isn’t about what games you thought were “best”. I want to know what you had the most fun with in 2009.

Pokemon Platinum 2

#5 Pokemon Platinum — Yes, I’m a Pokemon addict that has put more than 600 hours into Pokemon Pearl. As someone that loves breeding Pokemon for competitive battling, several of the additions in Pokemon Platinum were “must haves” for me. From move tutors that let you create more diverse combatants to challenging fight modes that test your mettle as a trainer, Pokemon Platinum has it all!

Of course Pokemon Platinum is rooted in the fantastic RPG gameplay that millions and millions of players have enjoyed for years. Weavile, I choose you!!!

Spike TV Videogame Awards (VGA) Winners List

Spike TV VGA

In case you missed it, here are the winners of the 2009 Spike TV VGAs. Check out the list and let me know what you think! Anyone get snubbed? Any of the winners undeserving? Or is the list mostly right?

  • Game of the Year: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
  • Studio of the Year: Rocksteady Studios
  • Best Independent Game: Flower
  • Best Xbox 360 Game: Left 4 Dead 2
  • Best PS3 Game: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
  • Best Wii Game: New Super Mario Bros. Wii
  • Best PC Game: Dragon Age: Origins
  • Best Handheld Game: Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars
  • Best Shooter: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
  • Best Fighting Game: Street Fighter IV
  • Best Action Adventure Game: Assassin’s Creed II
  • Best RPG: Dragon Age: Origins
  • Best Multiplayer Game: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Hit the jump for the rest of the winners!

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Final Fantasy XIII Japanese Television Footage

Here’s a pair of Japanese television clips featuring Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XIII. Thanks for Andriasang for digging these up! There’s a bunch of new footage here that you don’t want to miss.

Hit the break for the next clip!

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